Love Is Love
by R.R. Petrichor
Summary: Splinter couldn't quite figure out how such information had eluded him for so long. He couldn't help the stab of pain that he, their father, hadn't been able to figure this out sooner, when the others obviously had. All the small remarks and teasing glances had somehow eluded him. (Oneshot - Tcest - Raph X Leo)


**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the ninja turtles**

**A/N: Just a quick note: ****They're turtles, their blush wouldn't be red..**

**Ps. The 'parts' are all on this chapter.**

* * *

**Part One**

Splinter couldn't quite figure out how such information had eluded him for so long. He couldn't help the stab of pain that he, their father, hadn't been able to figure this out sooner, when the others obviously had. All the small remarks and teasing glances had somehow eluded him.

Had his two sons worked hard to hide this from him, or was it just that he had never thought, ever, that his sons felt, well, like more than just brothers?

Now that he knew – had seen – what relationship his two sons had, it seemed fairly obvious. The teasing, the nicknames – no, _pet_ names – and the competitiveness; this was all a result of their… Their _love_. Not just brotherly love but _love_. Real, deep, intimate love.

Splinter looked into his room where his two sons currently kneeled, awaiting him to enter, to either chastise them or bless their love for each other. The fact that his sons doubted his unconditional love for them hurt deeply, though Splinter knew that it was most likely a cause of how the media portrayed these situations.

He watched as his son comforted the other, murmuring words of comfort. He watched as his two sons stared at each other; the one just as apprehensive as the other.

But there gazes also held something else: love.

How could he, their father, refuse them something so precious, something that they obviously treasured? How could he tell them no, when everyone else was telling them yes? How could he say no, when both his heart and his brain were screaming yes?

Here his sons were, undeniably, irreversibly in love. Who was he, to say that was wrong? Who was he to refuse such rights upon them? Who was he to deny them happiness, of which they desired so deeply?

And so his mind was made up.

These two teenagers were his sons, who he loved unconditionally, no matter what. He would accept them, even if no one else would. He would love them, even if no one else did.

After all, what kind of father would he be if he didn't?

* * *

**Part Two**

Taking a steadying breath, Splinter entered the room, shutting his door behind him. He held his chin high and knew that he was coming off intimidating. He also knew, however, that this way, his approval would lift his son's moods much higher. It took a lot for him to not smile at the happiness that would split across their features. He got to the front of the two and turned swiftly.

"Stand." Splinter commanded stiffly.

His emerald green son sent his lover one more reassuring glance before the two stood: tense, apprehensive, worried, hopeful and, most importantly, utterly terrified. Guilt slithered its way into Splinter but he kept up the charade. Despite telling himself it was to make his sons more joyful, deep down he knew it was also the fact that he was a tiny bit spiteful that his sons had left him in the dark for so long.

"Raphael, Leonardo," Splinter started, his voice cold, "May I ask how long… _this_ has been going on?"

The two glanced at each other.

"A couple months." Raphael spoke, his voice steady, calm.

"I would appreciate it if you were a little more specific." Splinter told him.

Raph swallowed the lump building in his throat and answered tentatively, "A little over a year, Sensei."

"And why have I not learned of this… '_Relationship_' until now?" Splinter inquired and, before Raph could speak, added, "Leonardo?"

Leo tensed visibly. Splinter could see the scene of Leo fretting over how this conversation was going to play out, and Raph murmuring for him not to worry, that he'd do the speaking, to relax. That everything would be fine. Splinter used his forefinger to raise Leo's chin and lock their eyes. Raphael went to say something but Splinter raised his other hand in a silencing gesture.

"I asked you a question, Leonardo. Do not make me ask it again." Splinter said, removing his finger, letting Leo's chin drop back to his chest. Leo mumbled something.

"What was that?" Splinter spoke.

"I-I don't… I don't know." Leo replied weakly, his shoulders dropping.

Splinter returned his gaze to his red-clad son, "How long did you say you two have been dating, Raphael?"

"A year, roughly." Raph responded confidently, his shoulders squared and his chest puffed out slightly. His body posture was rigid and his fierce amber gaze whispered the emotion fear, though he worked hard not to show it.

Splinter let out a sigh and shook his head, turning around so that he faced neither of his sons, "I suggest you two sleep well tonight. Yous shall be cleaning the dojo tomorrow; I want it sparkling by the time yous finish."

"_What_?" Anger coated Raphael's voice.

Splinter chose to ignore him and shook his head again, tutting, "Hiding news like this from your own father? Honestly."

"What?" Raph repeated, sounding confused now.

Splinter turned around to face them now. Raph's over-confident, defensive stance had softened and Leo stared at Splinter anxiously, hopeful.

"I am your _father_, Raphael, Leonardo." He glanced between the two, "Hiding such news for a month - maybe even two - would have been acceptable. A year, however…" Splinter shook his head in disapproval, "We are a _family_. Families do not keep secrets from each other. You both know this and, yet, here we all are."

There was a brief silence in which his words sunk in.

"S-So… We have your blessing?" Raph inquired, excitement tainting his voice.

"You are my _sons_." Splinter answered, "You will always have my blessing. The both of you."

Splinter placed his hands on both Leonardo and Raphael's and put them into each other before pulling his own back. His two eldest sons looked down at their hands, entwined in the other's, before their eyes met, sharing a look of both love and contentment.

"Yous may go now, if yous would like." Splinter told them.

"Hai, Sensei." Raph replied. Leo yelped as he was pulled out of the room by an all-too-enthusiastic, red-clad turtle.

Splinter smiled lightly and a small chuckle left his lips.

* * *

**Part Three**

Donnie and Mikey waited in the lounge room, anxiously awaiting their brothers. Mikey perked up as Raph entered the room, Leo in tow with their hands entwined. Donnie and Mikey stared questioningly and were answered by the smile that spread across Raph's face and the dark green blush which heated Leo's cheeks.

Splinter entered the room and smiled weakly as Mikey and Donnie cheered, happy that their father hadn't disapproved of the eldests' relationship. Raph flopped onto the lounge, laying down, pulling Leo down with him. Leo frowned at his lover and swatted at his plastron, causing Raph to chuckle.

"Wait, that means…" Mikey said mischievously, turning to look at Donnie. Splinter raised his eyebrows suspiciously as his two younger sons counted down from three silently before chanting, quite loudly:  
"KISS! KISS! KISS…! KISS! KISS! KISS…!"

Splinter chuckled softly at the '_no-way-in-shell_' look that covered Leo's face. Raph smirked and grabbed Leo's cheeks in his hands, planting a kiss on his lover's lips, causing the blue-clad's face to darken. '_So is Raphael the 'dominant' male of this relationship?_' Splinter thought to himself wondrously. When he'd first learnt of the two's love, he'd assumed Leo would have been the 'dominant' one of the relationship.  
Raph chuckled as Leo failed to stop himself from blushing, his whole face still a dark shade of green.

"Yer remind me of a school-gurl sometimes, Leo." He teased.

Donnie and Mikey laughed at the reference and Splinter couldn't help but smirk despite himself. Leo frowned, obviously displeased, and kneed Raph in the 'nuts' before shoving him off the lounge. Leo turned over to look at his lover, who grunted in pain. A small smile slithered onto Leo's face.

"What was that you were saying, Raphie-boy?" Leo mocked.

"OOOH, BURN!" Mikey crowed, laughing.

Splinter smiled softly. Mikey yelped as Raph made a grab for him and the two began running through the lair, Leo watching the red-clad turtle intently, his blue eyes filled with lust. Realising Splinter had noticed his staring, Leo blushed once again and tensed up before looking away from everyone. Letting out a silent sigh and mentally shaking his head, Splinter, too, realised something; it was going to take a while for his sons to feel one hundred percent comfortable with each other around himself, but at least there would be small moments like the one previously, where they would be too fixated on each other's presence to care whether or not they were being watched.

Splinter looked to his orange and red clad sons. Mikey was making his way back to the lounge room and snagged Leo from his seat, causing a yelp from the eldest to emerge. Mikey then proceeded to use Leo as a shield.

"Mikey." Leo complained half-heartedly.

"Mikey!" Raph snarled.

Donnie rolled his eyes at the all too familiar scene, "I'll be in my lab."

"Ugh, Leo, get outta de damn way!" Raph pounced for Mikey, who had leaned to the side to blow Raph a raspberry. Mikey laughed. Leo rolled his eyes, which had humour sparkling in them.

"I think I will retire for the night. Goodnight, my sons." Splinter said, turning and walking towards his room, yawning, his mouth in the shape of a small smile.

"Sleep sounds good," Leo faked a yawn, a plan to keep Raph from pouncing on Mikey in his head, "I think I should have a shower first, though."

He started off and Mikey's jaw dropped. He began to start shouting out words like 'traitor' and Raph smirked, pounding his fists together in a menacing way, until Leo turned around and said his name.

"Raph? Aren't you coming? I'll be locking the door after me; and don't think I'll be unlocking it until I'm finished." Leo continued towards the bathroom, smirking. Raph glanced between Mikey and Leo. He let out a sigh and followed his lover, turning back to Mikey to say.

"If I were you, I'd be sleeping with one eye open, Mikey." He hissed.

Mikey laughed, relieved, "Thanks, Leo!"

He turned back to the TV, snatched up the remote and switched onto a monster movie marathon.

"Don't stay up all night, Bonehead." Leo called back. The sound of the bathroom door opening and shutting soon followed.

Raph smirked at Leo as he locked the door and wrapped his arms around the blue-clad ninja. Leo rolled his eyes and smiled lightly as Raph began to pull at the knot of his belt. He loved the moments like these that they shared together and was glad they no longer had to be so secretive about them. The possibilities now open to them swarmed through his mind; possibilities he liked very much. He took a deep breath as Raph's strong hands began to glide along his sides and across his plastron. Leo hummed loudly and leaned his head back into Raph's shoulder as the emerald green turtle pulled off his belt and began to pull at the other bits of material and at his sheaths.

There was something about his lover undressing him that... That made him feel... _Special_. It made him feel the way he did when a warm, cosy draft would waft through the cold sewers. It reminded him of the time Splinter had taken them out for Trick or Treating for the first time and the time he had first perfected a kata, only... Only, well, this was different. More intimate.

Leo smiled lightly as Raph finished undressing him and turned around to undress the red clad warrior. He pulled at his belt so that their waists now touched and began to undo the tight knot with one hand, while pulling his sais out and placing them on the weapon rack with the other. He let his light blue gaze hover over Raph's body and take in the sight. Anticipation began to build inside of him as he pictured the last time they'd gone in the shower.

Finally, both turtles now clothing-less, Leo got into the shower and started up the water. Raph got in next. Despite being considered the younger of the two **(2007 movie)** Raph was now bulkier and taller - though the height difference was generally unnoticeable. Leo let out a content sigh as the warm water poured over his skin. Raph licked his suddenly dry lips and watched as the water rolled off of Leo's graceful body and down his not-too-defined muscles. Leo noticed the staring and a small smile reached his lips. He watched Raphael, too, and took note of the way the water ran down Raph's bulging muscles. Leo smiled lightly and raised his hand to his lover's emerald green cheek, who, in turn, placed his hand over Leo's.

"I love you." Raph whispered, his voice quiet, deep and alluring.

"I... I love you, too." Leo mumbled back, leaning into his lover's chest.

"Y-You know, Leo..." Raph hesitated, "Now that Splinter knows, w-we might.. We could, um, get him to let us, uh, go to Casey's for, like, a date or whatever... Th-Then we could, y'know..."

His voice trailed off and his hands neared Leo's slit, where his leaf green dick lay, hidden. Leo stopped Raph's hands from moving closer with his own. He looked away from the disappointment in Raph's golden-amber eyes.

"Still not ready?" Raph mumbled, trying to sound understanding.

"I-I just... I mean..." Leo took a deep breath and shrugged, "I don't know. It just feels too early. I mean, Splinter only just found out today a-and the guys, they only figured us out a while ago... I just-,"

"It's fine." Raph said assuredly, his voice soft, "I can wait."

Leo's shoulders dropped and he let out a small sigh, feeling guilty for being the one that always said '_later_', "It's not as if I don't want to Raph, really. I just-,"

"It's _fine_, Leo. I unda'stand. 'Sides, the longa' we wait, the betta it's gonna be, right?" Raph cut in, his voice teasing.

Leo smiled weakly but didn't meet his lover's gaze. Couldn't. He didn't quite understand why but not being ready for sex, when Raph obviously was, made him feel, well... Stupid. It wasn't a big deal, really. They loved each other, they murmured it to each other whenever possible, and sex was just a more physical way of 'saying' it. Leo let out a sigh; physical _was_ always more Raph's domain.

"Leo." Raph lifted his lover's chin so that their eyes locked. His amber eyes were soft, "It's fine. Stop bein' a worry-wart."

"I'm not-,"

"And now you're being touchy." Humour sparkled in Raph's eyes.

Leo rolled his blue eyes and sighed, reaching for the tap, yawning sleepily, "'M so tired."

Raph smiled lightly and kissed his lover's cheek.

"Hey, so... Since everyone knows now..." The taps now on 'off', Leo leaned into Raph's arms, "You wanna carry me _ta_ bed?"

Raph smirked at the way his vocabulary was slowly starting to slip into Leo's and he managed a small nod. Raph picked his lover up bridal style and somehow managed to snag up their weapons and 'clothing' up, too, and carried the lot of them to Leo's room. Leo mumbled a weary thanks as Raph placed him in bed and then placed their stuff ontop of Leo's wooden desk. He then joined his lover in his bed and snuggled up to him, wrapping his large emerald green arms around the blue clad ninja.

"Night, Fearless." He muttered softly.

"G'night, Hot-head." Leo mumbled back sleepily, yawning as he drifted off to sleep, "L've ya."

Raph smiled weakly and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

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**A/N: This is "chapter one" to my story "I Love You" but I decided it was a good oneshot, so I made it a oneshot, too! :)**

**Please review? **


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